Tips and Advice for the Sleep Medicine Board Exam

So you’re about to take the Sleep Medicine Boards. What should you expect? You’re likely wondering which preparation books and courses are worth your time, energy and money. We’ve compiled the best time-tested resources (in order) to help you prepare for the Sleep Medicine Boards.

The Board Vitals Sleep Medicine Question Bank is a great resource for board review questions. The qbank is built specific to the exam, and given the high correlation between board pass rate and the number of practice questions, qbanks are the best place to start.

Focus on Sleep Medicine by Dr. Teofilo L. Lee Chiong Jr. A thorough and highly-focused question and answer workbook. Also useful to physicians in other practice areas who want to test their knowledge of sleep disorders.

AASM’s ‘International Classification of Sleep Disorders’ is a must-have for any candidate preparing to take the exam. It includes the classification, diagnosis criteria, pathology and pathophysiology for all known sleep disorders. In general, the AASM has a wealth of resources available to members (and non-members too, at a higher fee). We strongly recommend joining AASM if you haven’t already. There is a national review course, though we haven’t heard any feedback on it.

Sleep Medicine Pearls by Dr. Richard R. Berry. Berry is one of the doctors who has helped contribute questions to the board exam. In this text he offers highly useful case reviews preceded by quick informational blurbs on each case.

Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine by Dr. Meir H. Kryger. A must-have in any sleep physician’s bookcase, this is a standard reference textbook on diagnosing, treating and understanding the pathophysiology of sleep disorders. Great for use as a reference during your test prep.

Review of Sleep Medicine by Dr. Alon Y. Avidan. A comprehensive ABSM study guide in a review and self-assess format. This text includes many helpful lists and tables highlighting key points.

In general, review courses are right for a specific type of person. If you’re ok with the longer lecture format, or are maybe looking for more structure to your studying, the Sleep Medicine Review courses can be helpful. AASM’s Board Review Course. They offer several of these each fall. If you’re registered for the exam, you’ll likely be receiving promotional materials in the mail for this. Stanford University’s School of Sleep Medicine. As evidenced by the website, this is one of the older review courses, but still worth taking. Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine. Check the course calendar specifically for courses geared toward board exam prep.

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